Kitchen-cabinet.



No. 736,728. PATENTED AUG. 1.8, 1903.

- L. HOGKMAN. KITGHEN CABINET. w

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1902,

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETB-SHEET l N VE/V TUB lerijfoal'man 4: NDRFIS Parana ca. FHUYD-LITHIL, WASHINUYON l No. 736,728. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1903. L. HOGKMAN.

KITCHEN CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1902.

K0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

UNITED Patented August 18, 1903.

LEVI IIOGKMAN, OF MARION, INDIANA.

KlTCHEN-CABlNET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 736,728, dated August 18 1903.

Application filed April 25, 1902. Serial No. 104,654. (No model.)

To all whom it may col-worn:

Be it known that l, Lnvr I-IOOKMAma citizen of the United States, and a resident of Marion, in the county of Grant and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Kitchen-Cabinet, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has for its object to provide several novel details of construction for a kitchen-cabinetwhich render it very con;

,vcnient for holding utensils and material used in cooking and baking, and, further-' more, to provide doors, drawer fronts and sides, and other parts of the cabinet made of laminated material to prevent warping, twisting, and undue expansion and contraction of said parts when subjected to changes in humidity of the atmosphere and varying degrees of temperature.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as here inafter described, and defined in the appended claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective elevation of the improved kitchen-cabinet. Fig. 2 is a trans verse sectional view of the same. Fig. 2 is an end view of the lower section of the cabinet, showing the meal-bin pivoted thereon and in closed adjustment. Fig. 3 is an enlarged part1 y-sect-ional detail view showing a novel shelf attachment extended from an end portion of the lower part of the cabinet. Fig. 4E is a front side View of the upper end of a slidable door, showing friction springs thereon, which are provided for all the slidable doors on the cabinet. Fig. at is a perspective view of one of the similar novel guide-rails employed for the support of the lower edges of the slidable doors on the cabinet. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail plan view of ad acent portions of two slidable doors,

showing a dust-proof joint-strip employed as a sealing medium between each pair of slidahle doors for the cabinet. Fig. 6 is a frag mentary partly-sectional detail view showing a gravity-latch which holds a rockaole bin in closed adjustment. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view of a drawerin part, showing an improved feature of construction for the sides of all the drawers of the cabinet. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail perspective view showing one of the adjustable shelf-supports employed, and Fig. 9 isa partly-sectional detail view showing one of the jointed connections for rockably supporting the meal-bin at one corner of the cabinet.

The improved kitchen-cabinet in complete form consists of two main portions, which for convenience may be respectively designated as a dresser A and a cupboard B. The dresser A is an essentially rectangular structure, preferably made of hard wood and having a depth from the front to the rear so proportioned as to permit the cupboard B to be seated upon the rear portion, leaving a considerable top surface ofthe dresser exposed in front of the cupboard. The area exposed on top of the dresser is occupied by a non-oxidating pan or sink basin 10, the flanged edges a, that extend outwardly at its open top, being held clamped in place at the rear side by the overlapped front edge portion of the top board 11, that is secured upon the dresser behind the sink-basin 10.

The end flanges a. and also the front flange at the upper edge of the sink-basin are held clamped upon the front and end walls of the dresser A by the cleats 12, which are preferably in the form of metal strips flat on their lower sides and convexed on their top surfaces, thus a iford ing a secu re and. neat fastening forv the basin. An extension-shelf 13 is provided for the dresser A and consists of a flat platen mounted and secured upon two similar bracket-arms 14, that are each furnished with a finger member in, which has a book 0 on its free end.

The bracket-arms abut upon either of the end walls of the dresser A, as occasion may require, and the fingers 14 may with advantage be curved down toward their hooked ends, projecting inward, and the latter have engagement below studs 0, which projectoppositely in pairs from the sides of the basin, each set of the studs being positioned at a proper distance from a respective end wall of the basin, so that when the hooks c engage-a pair of the studs 0' tho heels of the bracketreeves arms 14 will be impinged upon the adjacent end wall of the dresser and the shelf-board 13 be held projected therefrom horizontally.

The shelf-board 13 is preferably formed of built-up stocktl1at is, the material consists of wood veneers glued one upon another,

Y having the grain of the wood in each veneer crossing the adjacent one at a right angle,

the result being that a board of suitable dimensions is afiorded which is light, very strong, and is not liable to warp or split. is to be understood, however, that I do not 'restrict the construction of the shelf-board to the employment of built-up stock, as it is feasible to use a metal plate protected against oxidation, or a piece of board of suitable size may be substituted, the bracket-arms in this edge, a slot is formed horizontally, into which is loosely fitted the bake-board 15, which slides below and has loose contact with the lower surface of the sink-basin 10, this con tact serving to afford support to the bakeboard when it is drawn outward, and as said board 15 has sufiicient length to permit it to extend below the top board 11 it will be obvious that the bake-board may be drawn out so as to expose considerable of its area when required for service, it then having support upon the lower side of the sink-basin 10.

The bake-board 15 may with advantage be constructed of built-up stock, as explained with regard to the shelf 13, to prevent its warping and splitting when alfected by dampness, heat, and cold, and it may here be stated that preferably all portions of the two-part cabinet having considerable area are prefera blly constructed of laminated wooden mater1a At a suitable point below the bake-board 15 a rectangular opening is formed in the front Wall of the dresser A, thus giving access to the interior of this portion of the cabinet. The opening mentioned is bordered by the top rail 16, bottom rail 17, and the upright frame members 18 18, which are portions of the front wall of the dresser, and as a finish for said front wall at the opening therein the molding-strips 18 are secured thereto, so as to overlap the edges of the top rail and the stiles or side members 18 18.

Within the chamber into which the opening in the front wall of the dresser A affords access a shelf 19 is held horizontally, so as to divide the space into two compartments, said shelf and the bottom wall 19 of the dresser providing supports for pans, pots, and other culinary utensils.

The lower edge of the top rail 16 is rabbeted along the outer side, so as to form a transverse channel, the overlapped portion of the top molding-strip 18 becoming the outer wall of said channel (I. The remaining lower portion of the top rail 16 rearward of the outer channel (Z is longitudinally grooved at its transverse center, thus providing another channel d, that is spaced from and parallel with the channel d, as shown in Fig. 2.

Upon the upper edge of the bottom rail 17, which may be flush with the bottom wall 19, a novel guide-strip 20 is seated and secured. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4:, the guide-strip 20 is formed of sheet metal pressed into form, so as to produce two parallel ribs 6 thereon,

. that are spaced apart.

Two doors 21 22 are furnished to close the opening in the front wall of the dresser A partially or entirely, these similar doors having two spaced tongues g g formed, respectively, on their upper edges, said tongues having loose engagement within the channels (1 d when the doors are in position. Two parallel grooves are formed, respectively, in the lower edges of the doors 21 22, said grooves being shaped to correspond with the form of the ribs 6, and when the doors 21 22 are in place the grooves in their lower edges receive the ribs 6. Hence it will be seen that-the doors '21 22 will be independently held to slide in width is fully equal to the width of the dooropening, and it is evident that when the doors are disposed as represented in Fig. 1 they will close the front of the dresser A.

As the doors 21 22 are separated slightly and it is essential that they serve as a dustproof closure for the opening in the dresser A, I have provided a joint-strip 71 (shown in Fig. 5) to seal the crevice between. the doors, said strip being formed of rubber cloth and secured upon one side edge of a door-say the door 22so that an edge of the joint-strip may press upon the inner side of the door 21 and cheat a tight closure of the narrow space between the doors.

The doors 21 22 may have small cupped finger-holds i formed in their outer surfaces near one edge of each, as shown in Fig. 1, to facilitate their slidable movement.

At the right-hand side of Fig. 1 I have shown a meal-bin 23, held to rock in an open space formed to receive it, preferably at the front right-hand corner of the dresser A. The space m, that accommodates the mealbin 23, is defined at the left-hand side by the stile 18 and a like style 18, positioned near the center of the right-hand end wall of the dresser, the rectangular form and dimensions of the stile 18 adapting it to fill up the corner when the meal-bin is in closed adjustment, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The pivotal support for the meal-bin consists of two pairs of mated leaves 24: '25, those designated as '25 being the lower ones, while the leaves numbered 24 are uppermost. The leaves 25 have each a pintle projected upwardly therefrom, which pintles are loosely received in sockets formed in the leaves 24:. In Fig. 2 it will be seen that the two pairs of pivot iCO n is formed.

vsavse connections for the meal-bin 23 are positioned in the same vertical plane, the leaves being secured, respectively; upon the wall of the bin that is flush with the end of the dresser when the bin is closed and upon said end wall directly below the bin. Furthermore, the hinge-leaves secured upon the bin are located at the transverse center of the side of the bin, to which they are attached, so thatupon rocking the bin outward upon its pivot-supports when the bin is closed it will swing, as does a door, and fully expose the open top for access to the contents thereof.

The meal-bin 23 when closed abuts at one side upon the stile 18, and as a preferred means for holding the bin in that condition the novel latch shown in Figs. 1 and 6 is employed, said latching device comprising a bracket-plate 26, essentially L-shaped in cross-section, said plate having a vertical slot in its upper edge, wherein the latch-bar 26 is held to rock. The bracket-plate 26'" is secured upon the front wall of the meal-bin 23, which is slotted to correspond with the slot in the bracket-plato, so that the latchbar 26 may rock freely when the bin is in closed adjustment.

Upon the upper edge of the end of the latch-bar 26, which projects into the mealbin, a latch-hook n is formed that will hook upon a shoulder n, formed on the lower edge of the top rail 16, this engagement being automatically effected by the weightof the outer end of the latch-bar, whereon a cross-handle It will beseen that the act of rockingthe bin 23 toward and in contact with the stile 18 will cause the latch-bar 26 to hook upon the shoulder at, and this will retain the meal-bin closed until the transverse handle n is lifted, and it is evident that by grasping said cross-handle the latchbar may be rocked upward and immediately pulled upon, which will rock the meal-bin outward and laterally to expose its contents.

A tier of drawers 27 is arranged at the rear of the stile 18, and these drawers, vhioh are spaced one from the other, are held to slide fin the end wall of the dresser and may contain dried fruits or various groceries used in the preparation of food.

The cupboard B-that is, the upper section of the kitchen-cabinetis made higher .cated in Fig. 2.

than the dresser A, but equals it in width, and is of such depth from front to rear as will permit it to seat upon the rear top boa-rd llof the dresser. The top piece 28 of the cupboard and other walls ,of the same are preferably formed of built-up stock, as indi- At a suitable point a vertical partition 28 of the cupboard, thus aifording a main compartment, which may be at the right or left side of said partition and which is subdivided by the central horizontal partition 28, as shown in Fig. 1. The two equal portions of the main compartment formed above and below the horiing supported in planes parallel with the l'iorizontal partition 28 and bottom wall 28 by changeable brackets 0. (Shown best in Fig. 8.) The similar brackets o are each bent from wire that is formed as a ring 0 at one end, thence is turned up at a right angle to said ring and again at a right angle from the upper end of the upright portion 0, thus affording a shan k 0 that projects away from and in a plane parallelwith that of theringo.

At proper intervals apart a series of perforations 0 is formed in the upright partition 28, which receive the shanks 0 and thus the l1 racket-rings 0 are supported horizontally to in turn afford support for the shelves 28 and it will be seen that by changing the position of the brackets, so as to locate the shanks o in appropriate perforations 0 the shelves may be arranged in the compartments of the cupboard at desired points in horizontal positions.

Two pairs of doors 29, similar in form and construction to the doors 21 22, are held to slide at the fronts of the two main compartments in the cupboard 13, these doors having tongues that engage Within grooves formed in the lower sides of the top piece 28 and partition 28", similar to the channels d d in the top rail 16 of the dresser A.

Upon the bottom wall 28 's, guide-strip 20, similar to the guide-strip 20, is secured near the front edge thereof, and alike strip 20" is affixed upon the upper side of the partition 28, above the grooves therein, so that the doors 29, that are grooved in their lower held to slide and open or close half portions of each of the main compartments in the cupboard. a

All the doors 21, 22, and 29 are provided with friction-springs, such as appear at 30in Fig. 4:, these springs being formed of pairs of resilient strips of metal, held by one end of each on the top edge of a door, the springs being bowed upwardly, so that their centers will press against the bottom of the channels they occupy and hold the doors 21 22 29 from accidentally opening or closing.

The portion of the cupboard B at the lefthand side of the partition 28 is, like the other portion, subdivided by a horizontal partition 28", (shown in Fig. 2,) and in the lower division of the cupboard, at the left-hand side thereof, a plurality of drawers 31 are held to slide, these drawers affording convenient receptacles for sugar, spices, tea or cofiee, and any other material needed in the prepation of food, or they may be utilized to hold knives,forks, and spoons ordinarily used in the kitchen.

Thedrawers 31, aswell' as the drawers 27,

have their side walls recessed longitudinally on their exterior surfaces, as clearly shown at r in Fig. 7, suchrecesses producing narrow ribs sat the upper and lower edges of the sides of the drawers. It will be evident that the provision of recessed sides for all the drawers reduces their friction on their lateral supports, and as the body of the material forming the sides is considerably reduced in'bulk these parts of the drawer shrink but slightly, and thus maintain a neat fit without regard to changes in degree of humidity or temperature.

Above the partition 28 is a compartment 32, wherein towels or other linens may be held neatly folded, and on the left-hand end wall and rear wall of the cupboard within the compartment 32 books 0 in sufficient numher are held projected therefrom and are adapted to support baking implements or any large cooking utensils that cannot be held in the drawers. The compartment 32 may be closed by means of a door having a mirror 33 as its front surface, said door being hinged, so as to swing to open and close it, and any suitable catch may be provided for holding it closed. I

Slight changes in the proportion and arrangement of the details of the invention may be made within the scope of the claim.

Hence I do not restrict the construction to the exact form and proportion of parts shown.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A kitchen -cabinet, comprising a dresser provided at the upper forward part thereof with a substantially rectangular pan having outwardly-projecting supporting-flanges at the sides and ends thereof, a top board for closing the upper rearward part of the dresser, said board having its front edge portion clamping the innermost side flange of the pan, and cleats fastened upon the remaining flanges of the pan, said pan being provided with inner studs, and a shelf having bracketarms for abutting an end wall of the dresser, said arms being provided with finger members adapted for detachable engagement with said studs.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEVI HOOK MAN.

WVitnesses:

FRANK STOUT, JAMES F. CHARLES. 

